How many sets and reps of the TRX overhead squat should you do when you are new to the exercise?

Two or three sets of 8 to 10 slow reps is enough, since this is a position drill and not a leg builder: three seconds down, a pause at the bottom, then stand. Adding a 20 to 30 second hold at the bottom of the last set is a good way to progress. It sits well at the start of a lower-body session, before you squat with weight.

How do I make the TRX overhead squat easier or harder?

Easier: shorten the straps, stand a little farther back so they carry more of you, widen the stance, and squat only to a box. Harder: take almost all the tension out of the straps so they give feedback rather than support, pause three to five seconds at the bottom, narrow the stance, or step away from the straps entirely and squat holding a dowel overhead. That last version is the real test.

What is the TRX overhead squat for?

It is a teaching and mobility drill: the straps let you reach depth with the arms overhead before you can hold that position unaided, so it suits anyone working toward a barbell overhead squat or a snatch, and it prepares the body well before squatting. It is a poor choice as a strength exercise, since the legs are barely loaded, and it turns into a crutch if you never test the range without straps.

Intermediate

TRX Overhead Squat

Holding the straps overhead as you squat teaches the tall, braced trunk and open shoulders that a barbell overhead squat demands, but with the straps offering feedback and light support. The straps let you sink into depth while keeping the arms locked overhead, so you build ankle, hip, and thoracic mobility alongside quad strength. It is a great teaching drill and mobility-strength builder for lifters chasing better overhead positions.

Equipment: TRX
Body part: Quads, Shoulder
Type: Balance, Strength
Browse by muscle: Rectus Femoris, Vastus Lateralis
Browse by movement: Squat

How to do it

1
Face the anchor and hold a handle in each hand, then reach the arms overhead.
2
Set the feet shoulder-width with the toes turned slightly out.
3
Brace the core and keep light tension on the straps overhead.
4
Sit the hips back and down, keeping the arms reaching up and the chest tall.
5
Descend until the thighs are at least parallel, heels staying flat.
6
Drive through the whole foot to stand, keeping the arms locked overhead.

Tips

Keep the arms reaching up the whole rep; let the straps guide, not pull, you up.
Keep the heels down and the knees tracking over the toes.
Brace the ribs down so the lower back does not overarch to hold the arms up.
Use only as much strap tension as you need to keep good positions.

Variations

Common mistakes

Feet end up too far under the anchor, so the straps hang at an angle that tows you forward at the bottom; walk back until they line up with your arms in the deepest position.
The arms finish somewhere around 45 degrees in front of the head rather than truly overhead, which is a far easier position and not the one you came to train.
Because the straps forgive so much, depth gets pushed past what you can hold on your own; stop where you could pause for two seconds with the arms still reaching up.
Speed creeps up once the drill feels easy, and a fast rep hides the exact restriction you are here to find; three seconds down, a pause, then stand.
The straps become permanent. Test the same depth every few weeks holding a dowel overhead with nothing to lean on, or you will never know what transferred.

Frequently asked

How many sets and reps of the TRX overhead squat should you do when you are new to the exercise?: Two or three sets of 8 to 10 slow reps is enough, since this is a position drill and not a leg builder: three seconds down, a pause at the bottom, then stand. Adding a 20 to 30 second hold at the bottom of the last set is a good way to progress. It sits well at the start of a lower-body session, before you squat with weight.
How do I make the TRX overhead squat easier or harder?: Easier: shorten the straps, stand a little farther back so they carry more of you, widen the stance, and squat only to a box. Harder: take almost all the tension out of the straps so they give feedback rather than support, pause three to five seconds at the bottom, narrow the stance, or step away from the straps entirely and squat holding a dowel overhead. That last version is the real test.
What is the TRX overhead squat for?: It is a teaching and mobility drill: the straps let you reach depth with the arms overhead before you can hold that position unaided, so it suits anyone working toward a barbell overhead squat or a snatch, and it prepares the body well before squatting. It is a poor choice as a strength exercise, since the legs are barely loaded, and it turns into a crutch if you never test the range without straps.

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